Athens, TN

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

67,211

25.6% 1-year growth

US Senator

Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party

US Senator

Bill Hagerty

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

1.65% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

13.5%

1% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$59,361

2.38% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$189,200

9.17% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

28,080

23.2% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, Athens, TN had a population of 67.2k people with a median age of 43 and a median household income of $59,361. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Athens, TN grew from 53,532 to 67,211, a 25.6% increase and its median household income grew from $57,982 to $59,361, a 2.38% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Athens, TN are White (Non-Hispanic) (87.4%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.93%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (2.97%), White (Hispanic) (2.12%), and Two+ (Hispanic) (1.13%).

None of the households in Athens, TN reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.6% of the residents in Athens, TN are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Athens, TN are Tennessee Wesleyan University (369 degrees awarded in 2022) and Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Athens (83 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in Athens, TN was $189,200, and the homeownership rate was 75.2%.

Most people in Athens, TN drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Athens, TN was 2 cars per household.

Athens, TN borders Cleveland, TN and Knoxville, TN.

United States Tennessee

Population & Diversity

Athens, TN is home to a population of 67.2k people, from which 98.6% are citizens. As of 2023, 2.69% of Athens, TN residents were born outside of the country (1.81k people).

In 2023, there were 17.7 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (58.8k people) in Athens, TN than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.32k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.6%

2023 Citizenship

98.2%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.6% of Athens, TN residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Athens, TN was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Athens, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Athens, TN

White (Non-Hispanic)
58.8k ± 492
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
3.32k ± 559
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
2k ± 282

3.72%

Hispanic Population

2.5k people

3.72% of the people in Athens, TN are hispanic (2.5k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Athens, TN as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Tennessee.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
84,446 ± 7,091 people
India
23,758 ± 3,778 people
Guatemala
22,245 ± 3,656 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Tennessee was Mexico, the natal country of 84,446 Tennessee residents, followed by India with 23,758 and Guatemala with 22,245.

Foreign-Born Population

2.69%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.81k people

3.06%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.64k people

As of 2023, 2.69% of Athens, TN residents (1.81k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Athens, TN was 3.06%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Athens, TN compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,498 ± 226
Gulf War (2001-)
1,020 ± 225
Gulf War (1990s)
816 ± 199

Athens, TN has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.47 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Athens, TN employs 28.1k people. The largest industries in Athens, TN are Manufacturing (7,341 people), Retail Trade (3,510 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (3,157 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($91,818), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($64,904), and Finance & Insurance ($61,271).

Males in Tennessee have an average income that is 1.36 times higher than the average income of females, which is $53,544. The income inequality in Tennessee (measured using the Gini index) is 0.462, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

28.1k

2023 Value

± 1,314

23.2%

1 Year growth

± 5.69%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Athens, TN grew at a rate of 23.2%, from 22.8k employees to 28.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Athens, TN, are Production Occupations (4,779 people), Sales & Related Occupations (2,748 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,552 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Athens, TN.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Tennessee (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

28.1k

2023 Value

± 1,314

23.2%

1 Year growth

± 5.69%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Athens, TN grew at a rate of 23.2%, from 22.8k employees to 28.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Athens, TN, are Manufacturing (7,341 people), Retail Trade (3,510 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (3,157 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Athens, TN, though some of these residents may live in Athens, TN and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,415

Median earning men ± $1,664

$34,033

Median earning women ± $1,772

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,690), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($71,510), and Wholesale Trade ($66,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($54,107), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,444), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($47,639).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Y-Axis

3.15%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.29M people employed in Tennessee. This represents a 3.15% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Tennessee.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

88
Retail Trade
86
Other Services (except Public Administration)
61
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$454k
Manufacturing
$90k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$77.8k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing the state of Tennessee. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Athens, TN. Showing the available data for Tennessee.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (64.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (34.5%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.703%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Tennessee went to Donald J. Trump with 64.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (34.5%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.703%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Tennessee for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Tennessee

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Marsha Blackburn

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2019

Bill Hagerty

Senator from Tennessee

Assumed office on January 3, 2021

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are the senators currently representing Tennessee.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Tennessee over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Tennessee

Tennessee is currently represented by 9 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Tennessee have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Athens, TN awarded 452 degrees. The student population of Athens, TN in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 556 male students and 717 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Athens, TN are White (342 and 79.5%), followed by Black or African American (30 and 6.98%), Hispanic or Latino (27 and 6.28%), and Unknown (15 and 3.49%).

The largest universities in Athens, TN by number of degrees awarded are Tennessee Wesleyan University (369 and 81.6%) and Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Athens (83 and 18.4%).

The most popular majors in Athens, TN are Registered Nursing (82 and 18.1%), General Business Administration & Management (80 and 17.7%), and Occupational Therapy (30 and 6.64%).

The median tuition cost in Athens, TN for private four year colleges is $26,100.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in Athens, TN, the percentage of applicants admitted was 60.7%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 34%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 1,273 (43.7% men and 56.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 1,273 students enrolled in Athens, TN, 43.7% men and 56.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 971 records, of which 58.7% were women and 41.3% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
82 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
56 degrees awarded
Dental Hygiene
17 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Athens, TN was Registered Nursing with 82 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Athens, TN according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Tennessee Wesleyan University
369 degrees awarded
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Athens
83 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Tennessee Wesleyan University with 369 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 161 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Athens, TN, which is 0.553 times less than the 291 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 342 degrees mean that there were 11.4 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 30 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($26,100) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,250) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,400) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Measure

In 2022, 0.806% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.744% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.75M), Some college (1.2M), and Bachelors Degree (956k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Athens, TN was $189,200 in 2023, which is 0.624 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $173,300 to $189,200, a 9.17% increase. The homeownership rate in Athens, TN is 75.2%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Athens, TN have an average commute time of 25.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Athens, TN is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Athens, TN is $59,361. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in Athens, TN was Williamson County, TN with a value of $131,202, followed by Wilson County, TN and Sumner County, TN, with respective values of $94,048 and $86,005.

Housing

Property

$189,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$6,963

$20,108

Median Property Taxes

±$975

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Athens, TN the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Athens, TN compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

75.2%

Homeownership

2023

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 75.2% of the housing units in Athens, TN were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Athens, TN compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Athens, TN was Williamson County, TN with a value of $131,202, followed by Wilson County, TN and Sumner County, TN, with respective values of $94,048 and $86,005.

The following map shows all of the counties in Athens, TN colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$59,361

Median Household Income

± $4,039

26.8k

Number of Households

± 1,180

In 2023, the median household income of the 26.8k households in Athens, TN grew to $59,361 from the previous year's value of $57,982.

The following chart displays the households in Athens, TN distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Athens, TN is from Tennessee.

0.462

2022 Wage GINI in Tennessee

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in Tennessee

In 2022, the income inequality in Tennessee was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.289% decline from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Tennessee was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Tennessee in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Tennessee across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (83.4%)
Carpooled (9.44%)
Worked At Home (5.54%)

In 2023, 83.4% of workers in Athens, TN drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.44%) and those who worked at home (5.54%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Athens, TN have a shorter commute time (25.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.73% of the workforce in Athens, TN have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Athens, TN compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Athens, TN distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Athens, TN have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

13.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Athens, TN (8.86k out of 65.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 45 - 54.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Athens, TN is White, followed by Two Or More and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.4% of the population of Athens, TN has health coverage, with 37.9% on employee plans, 20.3% on Medicaid, 16.5% on Medicare, 12.1% on non-group plans, and 2.53% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Tennessee see 1403 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.143% increase from the previous year (1401 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1793 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 560 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Tennessee.

1,403 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Tennessee

Primary care physicians in Tennessee see an average of 1,403 patients per year. This represents a 0.143% increase from the previous year (1,401 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Tennessee in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.7% under 18 years, 17.9% between 18 and 34 years, 39.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.1% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.5% were men and 51.5% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.6%

Uninsured

37.9%

Employer Coverage

20.3%

Medicaid

16.5%

Medicare

12.1%

Non-Group

2.53%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Athens, TN declined by 4.96% from 11.2% to 10.6%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Athens, TN changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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